To celebrate The Soul of Crete joining the Portlaoise Farmers Market, we caught up with Petros Konsoulas to find out more about his artisan food business.
Introduce yourself?
Hi I’m Petros the owner of The Soul of Crete. Our artisan food company is all about bringing the taste of Greece to Ireland. We are very excited to be joining the Portlaoise Farmers Market every Friday. I have been living in Ireland for 15 years and love all things about food!
Tell us about your business?
We started The Soul of Crete 3 years ago and started out at Carlow’s Farmers Market. Since then our business has grown and we now attend all the major food festivals and you can find our products stocked in a number of Supervalu supermarkets and independent artisan stores.
What is the range of products you provide to your customers?
We source only the highest quality Greek products and supply a Global award winning Extra Virgin Olive Oil which has won more than 20 international taste awards. We have also expanded our product range and have become very well known for our balsamic vinegar, tapenades, sauces, seasoning mixes and olives.
You can find our full range of products on our online store www.thesoulofcrete.ie where you can order all our products and get them delivered right to your door. Even better we offer free shipping on all orders over €45.
How has the Business Support Unit helped you?
We have received great support from Laois County Council by allowing us the opportunity to take part in the weekly Portlaoise Farmer’s Market. It’s an opportunity for us to expand our customer base in Laois. In addition the publicity provided by the Business Support Unit has allowed us to grow our brand awareness in Portlaoise and the surrounding areas. It’s great to see such a proactive approach by the County Council and the LEO in supporting small businesses.
What’s the best thing about being involved in the food industry?
We love what we do! We are marrying the flavours of Greece and Ireland. Irish people are great for trying new things so it helps when people taste our products. We love meeting new people at the markets and have built up repeat business from meeting more and more people on a weekly basis at our other farmers market.
We hope we can do the same here in Portlaoise so if you ever fancy tasting our products please do pop along on Friday and come and have a try!
What are the major challenges for your business in recent years?
The biggest challenge for us is our distribution channels and breaking into the food service industry. If you know anyone that would be interested in stocking or distributing our products nationwide please get in touch using the information below!
What motivates you and your business?
Food is very much part of the Greek Culture and I am doing what I love! I love meeting people who believe that good food is a key part of living a healthy and happy lifestyle. Sharing this love of food with the people I meet helps to keep going through the cold, grey winter mornings!
Where can we find you?
You can find us every Friday from 9.00am to 2.00pm at Portlaoise Farmers Market in Market Square and Saturday at Carlow Farmer’s Market. We also attend all the major food festivals that take place from April onwards. Our next festival is the West Waterford Festival of Food which will take place on Sunday 28th April. We would love to be stocked in shops in Laois, so please get in touch if you think we are a good fit for your shop!
How can customers contact you?
You can contact us using the information below.
Contact: Petros
Phone: 086 323 0845
Email: pertros@thesoulofcrete.com
Are you interest in joining the Portlaoise Farmers Market or would you like to be featured in one of our business of the month articles? Contact Jake for more details here.
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